[1977] John Greaves, Peter Blegvad, Lisa Herman - Kew. Rhone.

One of the many gems from the Canterbury Scene, Kew Rhone is the resulting work of three important figures from that time, whose combined experience gave birth to an album strongly hinting at Slapp Happy's art pop vibe and what would later become Art Bears, with a remarkable jazz influence typical of the scene. Joyous and mysterious at the same time, the album is plagued with occult references and hidden clues not only in the lyrics but also in the cover, on which several clues are denoted with roman numerals and paired together with some phrases within the songs. Definitely, anyone with at least a mild interest in the 70's british prog scene should check this excellent album.

Download it here: [320][V0]


Buy it from Amazon here.

[2010] No Balls - Less

Another gem from Streaks Records, but in this case it's explicitly related to hardcore. With some sexual undertones, No Balls gives off some of the no-wave vibe from Teenage Jesus and Glenn Branca's post-punk works to the heavy, relentless hardcore, which, far from disappoint, gives off a great impression at the very first listen. Most songs are, unfortunately, instrumental, but that doesn't give away its overbearing vibe.

Download it here: [V0]


Buy it directly from Streak Records here (scroll down).

[2001] The Thing - The Thing

Weirdly enough, this is the first Swedish band I ever post on my blog...
This is the unofficial first release of the trio that will later be known as The Thing, formed by Mat Gustafsson (sax), Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass, double bass), and the prolific drummer Paal Nilssen-Love (drums). A very intense debut, released under Mat Gustafsson's label, Crazy Wisdom (now defunct), which features one of the most energetic deliveries from Gustafsson in the sax (highly prominent throughout the whole album). Definitely a good start with a band that later featured collaborations with famous musicians such as John McPhee and Jim O'Rourke, denoting their strong improvising vein in each one of these.


Download it here: [320][V0]

Currently unavailable.

[2009] Orchestre National de Jazz - Around Robert Wyatt

A very interesting release, which gathers plenty of classic compositions from popular albums in which Robert Wyatt (such an inspiring figure of the canterbury prog scene of the 70's and beyond) contributed and took part of, ranging from his solo albums, the Blegvad/Greaves/Herman collab known as  Kew Rhone, to Matching Mole and many others, reinterpreted by the Orchestre National de Jazz, and even with his own participation in a good part of them. Without losing a bit of their original quality, the songs are embellished with noteworthy contributions, such as Rokia Taoré's soul-influenced vocals, full of warmth and innocence, or Yael Naim's folky vibe, giving it a kind, retro feel to Wyatt's compositions.

Download it here: [320][V0]

Buy it directly from Abeille Musique here.

[2011] Thymolphthalein - Ni Maître, Ni Marteau

A somewhat unlikely ensemble coming from France and Australia, delivering a rhythmically complex sonic assault, revolving around electro-acoustic improvisation and electronic, self-made instruments to create tones hard to identify among the spastic array of fractured sounds. Surprising debut, recorded and performed live at the SWR2 New Jazz Meeting in France, 2009.

(meant to be played loud given its extreme frequency range, which perhaps could be benefited from a higher bitrate)

Download it here: [192][V0]

Buy it directly from Editions Mego here.